Endoprosthesis device and method
First Claim
1. A pressurizable elastic endoprosthesis anchoring apparatus freely insertable into a medullary canal and thereafter immovably anchorable thereto comprising:
- an elongated load bearing stem;
an elastic member mounted around and extending lengthwise of said stem; and
means for compressing said elastic member radially outward into pressurized contact with the juxtaposed surface of the medullary canal after insertion therein;
the elastic member being fluid impervious and having an internal cavity, and said means for compressing said elastic member including means for introducing a fluent medium under pressure into said cavity to expand said elastic member into pressurized contact with said surface of the medullary canal and to continuously maintain the elastic member compressed in resilient pressure contact with the medullary canal surface, said elastic member being effective to distribute elastic pressure substantially uniformly to the surface area of the medullary canal in contact therewith and to conform to irregularities present in the juxtaposed surface portion of the medullary canal, said uniformly distributed elastic pressure applied continuously by the elastic member to the medullary canal being effective to anchor said endoprosthesis immovably therein.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an endoprosthesis device and method of installing the same immovably in a medullary canal under a constant predetermined uniformly distributed pressure. The rigid prosthesis stem is typically embraced by an elastomeric element designed for continuous pressurization into compressed resilient anchorage with the medullary canal surface. The tubular elastomeric element can be pressurized in various ways such as by a captive gas, or by a fluent material until this material takes a set, or by a combination of pressurized gas and settable fluent material. When a captive pressurized gas is used, along or with a settable material, it provides a major portion of the elastic energy anchoring the prosthesis immovably in place; and when a settable pressurizing medium is used, the elastic energy is stored in the compressed thick elastomer. The constant elastic energy fosters bone growth to augment prosthesis anchorage. Permanent anchorage is achieved virtually instantly following alignment and pressurization of the prosthesis. When a settable material is used, the stem may include a withdrawable wedge to facilitate separation of the remainder of the prosthesis from the medullary canal. The expandable/compressible elastic component readily compensates for irregularity in the canal wall and requires a minimum of preliminary preparation of its surface.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A pressurizable elastic endoprosthesis anchoring apparatus freely insertable into a medullary canal and thereafter immovably anchorable thereto comprising:
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an elongated load bearing stem; an elastic member mounted around and extending lengthwise of said stem; and means for compressing said elastic member radially outward into pressurized contact with the juxtaposed surface of the medullary canal after insertion therein; the elastic member being fluid impervious and having an internal cavity, and said means for compressing said elastic member including means for introducing a fluent medium under pressure into said cavity to expand said elastic member into pressurized contact with said surface of the medullary canal and to continuously maintain the elastic member compressed in resilient pressure contact with the medullary canal surface, said elastic member being effective to distribute elastic pressure substantially uniformly to the surface area of the medullary canal in contact therewith and to conform to irregularities present in the juxtaposed surface portion of the medullary canal, said uniformly distributed elastic pressure applied continuously by the elastic member to the medullary canal being effective to anchor said endoprosthesis immovably therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. That method of anchoring an endoprosthesis immovably in a medullary canal comprising:
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providing an elongated rigid load bearing stem; embracing said stem with an elongated elastomeric member;
which is fluid impervious and has an internal cavity;securing opposite end portions of said elastomeric member to a respective end of said stem; inserting said stem and elastomeric member into the open end of a medullary canal; and pressuring said elastomeric member inwardly of an outer wall thereof with a fluent material introduced under pressure into said internal cavity to expand said outer wall of the elastomeric member radially outwardly into pressurized contact with a juxtaposed surface of the medullary canal and continuously maintaining the outer wall of the elastomeric member compressed in resilient pressure contact with the medullary canal surface, said elastomeric member being effective to distribute elastic pressure substantially uniformly to the surface area of the medullary canal in contact therewith and conform to irregularities present in the juxtaposed surface portion of the medullary canal while said uniformly distributed elastic pressure applied continuously by the elastomeric member to the medullary canal is effective to anchor said endoprosthesis immovably therein. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A pressurizable elastic endoprosthesis anchoring apparatus freely insertable into a medullary canal and thereafter immovably anchorable thereto comprising:
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a rigid main body including a load bearing stem supporting a head on one end thereof; tubular elastomeric means having at least one tubular outer wall embracing said stem with opposite end portions thereof secured to said stem in a fluid-tight manner to provide at least one closed annular cavity; and means for pressurizing said annular cavity to hold said at least one tubular outer wall pressed into resilient continuously maintained pressurized contact with the juxtaposed surface of a medullary canal to distribute elastic pressure substantially uniformly to the juxtaposed surface area of the medullary canal in contact therewith and to conform to irregularities present in said surface and to anchor said endoprosthesis immovably therein under said uniformly distributed elastic pressure continuously applied by the outer wall of said elastomeric means. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification